Mail-box.



'J. T. DENNY.

MAIL BOX.

APPI IGATION IILED JANJQ, 1908.

903,362. Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

17 g I afl venloz' Ja/azZjfl/zizy JOHN T. DENNY, ORCROMARTIE, NORTH CAROLINA.

MAIL-B ox.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 29, 1908.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

Serial No. 413,223.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN -T. DENNY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cromartie, in the county of Robeson and State of North Carolina, have invented a newand useful Mail-Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail boxes designed especially for rural delivery service; and has for its object to provide a strong, sufiiciently water tight receptacle, simple in construction and operation and arranged to automatically display a signal when there is mail in the box for either owner or carrier and to lower said signal when the box is em ty.

y the use of this improved mail box, time and labor are saved the carrier as he need not stop unless the signal is displayed which is operated automatically before mail can be deposited in the box, and remains in sight until the contents of the box have been co leeted. The lowering of the signal is also automatic and positive and caused when the collecting door is opened to remove the mail.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of arts hereinafter described and claimed, re erence being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which Fi ure 1 is a perspective view of the improve mail box; Fig. 2 is a face View of the same showing the drop opening exposed and the signal flag elevated; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the box with the collecting opening partly uncovered; Fig. 4 is a like view illustrating the collecting opening wholly uncovered, the signal flag lowered, and the drop opening closed; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of one end of the mail box on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Similar reference numerals are used for the same parts in all the figures.

The mail box com )rises a preferably cylindrical casing 1 0 any approved length and diameter closed tightly at one end 2 in any suitable way and provided at its opposite end 3 with the various means for coveringl and uncovering the mail depositin and co ect-ing openings, 0 aerating the sigma He and locking the col ecting door in close position. I

Extending entirely across the cylinder 1 at its end 3 111 a horizontal direction is a flat plate 4, the lower edge 5 of which is coincident with the horizontal diameter of the cylinder 1. The plate '4 extends upwardly about two thirds the radius of the cylinder thus leaving a space 6 of sufficient size above it for the de osit of mail. On the bottom edge of the xed alate 4 is a lug 7 having an axial opening or a pivot pin 8 common to the two oscillating doors or closures 9 and 10 for covering respectively the depositing and collecting openings 6 and 11.

The closure 9 is a fiat substantially semicircular plate situated outside the fixed plate 4 with a portion of one side removed so that when turned about the pivot pin 8 to expose the drop opening 6 the edge 12 of said plate will coincide with the adjacent upper edge of the fixed plate and open the deposit slot 6 to its full extent. See Fig. 2. The outer curved edge of the closure 9 lies close to the inner wall of the cylinder 1 and is folded over or otherwise fastened to a circular rin 13 concentric with the pivot pin 8. To the ring 13 is secured the staff '14 of the signal flag 15, in line with the diametrical edge of said closure. Fixed to the closure 9 in line with the flag staff 14 but on the opposite side of the pivot pin 8 is a rod 16 extending a short distance beyond the side of the mail box and provided on its end with a weight 17. On one side of the mail box is a spring catch 18 in position to retain the rod 16 when the closure 9 is moved to fully cover the dro openin 6 as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. In. this position of the closure the signal flag 15 is depressed and out of sight of the mail carrier and the owners of the box.

The closure 10 of the collecting opening 11 is a semi-circular plate on the inner side of the fixed plate 4 and has its peripheral. ed e close to the inner surface of the cylinder and secured to a circular ring 19 in the same way as the closure 9 is attached to staple 22 on the closure 10 when the'latter is in position to cover the delivery opening 11. A padlock 23 engages the staple 22 to prevent any unauthorized persons opening the box. If preferred a look 24 riveted to the inner surface of the cylinder may be substituted for the padlock and be of any preferred type. The key hole 25 for this lock will be made through the side of the cylinder 1 as represented in Fig. 1.

The mail box is supported with its axis in a horizontal position and fastened by means of a suitable bracket 27 riveted on the under side of the box bolted to the upper end of a post 28, the top rail of a fence or in some other convenient position.

Assuming the mail box to be empty, the parts will lie in the position represented in Fig. 1 with both openings closed, the fla depressed and the weighted rod 16 held in horizontal position by the spring catch 18. If mail is to be deposited in the box, either by carrier or the owners of the box, the catch 18 is moved to disengage the rod 16 so that the weight 17 thereon will drop im mediately and turn the closure 9 into the position represented in Fig. 2. A stop 26 projects from the bottom of the casing 1 against which the rod 16 strikes and limits the movement of the closure 9. The oscillation of the closure 9 elevates the signal flag to the top of the mail box where it will be in full View of the carrier and others. l/Vhen the mail is to be collected the closure 10 is unlocked, the hasp 20 raised and, grasping the staple 22 with the fingers, the closure is turned a half revolution as indicated in Fig. 4 entirely uncovering the collecting opening 11. During the movement of the closure 10, after it has been turned through an arc of ninety degrees or half the d1stance, the staple 22 will. strike the straight edge of the closure 9 as shown in Fig. 3 and carry said closure with it until the arm 16 is again caught by the spring catch 18. The mail is then removed from the box and only the closure 10 returned and locked, leaving the closure 9 covering the deposit opening 6 and the signal flag 15 lowered.

From the above description it will be readily understood that before any mail can be deposited in the box the signal flag is automatically set and remains in sight, unless purposely lowered, until the box is opened for collection, which latter action in turn automatically lowers the signal flag and closes the de osit or letter drop opening which remains clbsed until again opened in the usual manner to receive mail.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure Patent is:

1. A mail box comprisin a cylindrical receptacle permanently closed at one end and by Let-teas having a fixed plate extending across the opposite end there being a deposit opening above and a collecting opening below said plate,'a closure for said deposit opening carrying a visual signal and a closure for said collecting opening adapted to operate the deposit closure when opened, said closures rotating on a common axis.

2. A mail box comprising a cylindrical receptacle permanently closed at one end and having a fixed. plate extending across the opposite end and of such width as to leave an upper and a lower opening in said end, a closure for the upper or deposit opening axially pivoted on the outside of said plate and carrying a visual signal and a weighted rod, and a closure for the lower or collecting opening pivoted on the inner side of said fixed plate and on the same axis as the outer closure and disposed, when opened, to shift the outer closure into position to cover the deposit opening and lower the visual signal.

3. A mail box closed at one end and having a mail deposit opening and a mail-collecting opening at the other end, a closure for the deposit opening having a visual signal attached thereto and a weighted arm projecting in a direction opposite said signal, an arm-engaging catch on the box and disposed to hold the closure in closed position and the signal lowered, and a closure for said collecting opening having means thereon for moving said deposit closure into closed position while uncovering the collecting opening.

4. A mail box, closed at one end and partly closed by a vertical plate at the opposite end to form a deposit opening above and collecting opening below said plate, a closure for each opening having a common axis of rotation, a weighted arm and a visual signal movable with the closure of the deposit opening, box and disposed to hold the closure of the deposit opening'in a predetermined position, and means actuated by the opening of the closure of the collecting opening for shifting the other closure into closed position.

5. A mail box, closed at one end and having a fixed vertically disposed plate extending across the opposite end above which is the deposit opening and below which is the collectin opening, a semi-circular plate for closing t e collecting openin having a por' tion of one side removed an said plate being pivotally connected to the outside of said fixed plate, a catch on the mail box, a visual signal and a weighted arm movable with the closure plate and diametrically disposed, said Weighted arm being disposed to engage the catch to hold the closure plate in closed said Weighted arm, when released, operating by gravity to shift the closure plate into open position and to raise said signal and a an arm engaging catch on the 4 m1 1.. was .1 the signer 1UWULUU,

semi-circular late ivoted to the inner side of said fixed p ate or closing said collecting 111 6. A mail box having a fixed vertically (disposed plate extendin across one end to filivlde the same into a eposit openin and I collectin o ening, a semi-circular c osure plate for t e eiposit opening pivoted to said ed plate an rotatable in its own plane and hav' a portion of one side removed, a visual signal and a weighted rod fixedly connected to and pro'ecting in diametrically opposite directions rom said closure plate ,Iaaid weighted rod adapted to hold the cloretire plate normally opened and the visual 'iligna displayed, a spring catch on the mail box for e aging said weighted arm and retaining sald closure plate over the deposit ning and the signal lowered, and a semicircular pivoted closure plate for closing the collecting o ening.

7. A mai box having a deposit opening and a collecting opening, a semi-circular closure plate for each opening rotatable in their own planes on a common axis, a visual si nal on one late, means for turning said p ate on its axis to uncover the deposit openmg and display said signal, means on the ot er plate adapted when said plate is moved into open position to shift the first named plate and close the de osit o ening and lower the signal, a catch ibr holding the signal lowered and the deposit opening covered and means for locking the cover plate for the collecting opening when in closed position.

8. A mail box having a receiving 0 ing and a collecting opening, separate c osurestherefor, gravity operated means upon one of the closures for holdin the same nor: mally in open position, an means movable with the other closure during the opening thereof for shifting the gravity controlled closure into closed position.

9. A mail box having separate openings therein, a gravity controlled closure for one of the openings, a normally upstanding signal carried thereby, a closure for the other opening, and means operated by said closure during the opening thereof for shiftin the gravity controlled closure out of norma position and lowering the signal.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. DENNY.

Witnesses:

D. H. BROWN, W. A. SMITH. 

